C-usa Tv Deal To Benefit Ucf

College Game Day - MARSHALL 20, UCF 3 - THE BUZZ

Coming to Huntington, W.Va., is a trip UCF will continue making when both schools move to Conference USA in July -- and both schools will enjoy the fruits of C-USA's impending deal with ESPN.

Briefed a week earlier at a C-USA presidents gathering in Dallas, UCF President John Hitt told the UCF Athletics Association's board of directors that the league's negotiations with the network will surprise people who think the dollars are going to drop significantly.

"We're going to be close to the revenue that the league's at now," Hitt said. "There's a chance the television package could be worth more."

C-USA's current contract is worth $86.6 million over eight years. With seven current C-USA members leaving and five new members coming in, the conference and network agreed to renegotiate.

When UCF was considering moving from the Mid-American Conference to C-USA a year ago, C-USA put together two projections for the Golden Knights. According to the projections, obtained by the Orlando Sentinel, one was a TV contract worth 60 percent of the current value. The other was a deal worth 80 percent. Both projections were compiled before TCU decided to leave C-USA for the Mountain West.

Under the first plan, UCF's overall revenue share projects from $794,475 to $925,039 over the first four years. Under the second, the range is between $853,485 to $951,351

"It's too early to say [what the numbers are going to be]," said C-USA Britton Banowsky, who is negotiating the deal with two TV consultants the league has hired. "We're only about halfway into it."

UCF generates virtually no revenue from TV through the MAC and Atlantic Sun.

HITTING 3,000

RB Alex Haynes rejoined the starting lineup Saturday after missing two games with a slightly separated shoulder, and he worked for every one of the 72 yards he gained. The yardage pushed his career total to 3,006 yards, only the second back in UCF history to eclipse 3,000 yards. With three games left in his career, Haynes is 125 yards away from catching UCF career rushing leader Willie English (3,131).

NO CONTROVERSY

Backup Marshall QB Graham Gochneaur sparked Marshall in the second quarter with a 4-for-4 performance in relief of Stan Hill, but Hill returned a few series later and played all but the final series. Hill, who struggled with cracked ribs through most of the season, was 15-for-31 for 113 yards. "Graham came in and played well, but we don't have a quarterback controversy," Marshall Coach Bob Pruett said. "He comes in and gives us a lift, but there's no controversy."

ETC.

For the second game in a row UCF's defense held an opponent to no points in the first quarter. Winter Springs walk-on Tommy Kasper, a special teams demon, payed for the first time at linebacker. He was moved from fullback this week after Stanford Rhule (torn bicep) was declared lost for the season. One of the juiciest rumors in Huntington is what happens if Steve Spurrier lands back at Florida -- that Spurrier will bring Marshall secondary coach Jim Collins back to Gainesville and that Herd Coach Bob Pruett will replace Collins with Western Michigan Coach Gary Darnell. Pruett is close friends with Darnell, who is not expected to be retained by the Broncos